Go Green: Affordable sustainable foods

Monday

Jan 24, 2011 at 12:01 AMJan 24, 2011 at 3:26 AM

It’s virtually unavoidable: Food grown or raised in ways that are good for the Earth is going to cost a little more, unless you set up your own vegetable garden. However, there are some ways to keep the price difference in check when buying SOLE food (sustainable, organic, local or ethical). While side-by-side price comparisons on, say, a tomato or a pork chop fluctuate with the seasons and regions, here are some items to put on your shopping list.

Allecia Vermillion

It’s virtually unavoidable: Food grown or raised in ways that are good for the Earth is going to cost a little more, unless you set up your own vegetable garden. However, there are some ways to keep the price difference in check when buying SOLE food (sustainable, organic, local or ethical).

While side-by-side price comparisons on, say, a tomato or a pork chop fluctuate with the seasons and regions, here are some items to put on your shopping list.

Produce that’s in season

“It’s simple supply and demand,” says Matt Ewer, founder of Green B.E.A.N. Delivery, a service that delivers local farmers’ products to residents in Indiana and Ohio. “When there’s more product on the market, it’s going to drive prices down.” This holds true at the grocery store, but especially at your area farmers market, where $20 can buy a sizeable amount of in-season, organic or sustainably grown produce.

Whole coffee beans

Buying locally grown coffee beans isn’t possible unless you happen to live in a tropical climate. However fair trade, organic and shade grown coffee is available in a variety of price ranges. Ewer suggests buying your beans from a local roaster, another way to support local food producers. Whole beans also stay fresh longer, he says. Buy a grinder to use at home.

A whole chicken

“Proteins will always be prohibitive,” says Melissa Danielle, a Brooklyn-based good food coach who works with small-scale farmers and food purveyors to educate consumers about sustainable food. Her advice: Buy a whole chicken and cut it up, “freezing what you won't use right away, or buying dark meat sections since they will be less expensive--and more flavorful.”

Frozen organic veggies

To save money on organic produce, Danielle also suggests shopping in the frozen foods aisle. Frozen produce is generally picked when ripe, she says, compared with fresh supermarket produce that’s often picked before it’s ready so it can ripen in transit and at the store. “Buying frozen also means minimal chance of wasting uneaten veggies that sit in the fridge and spoil.”

Anything made from scratch

The organic and natural food sections of the grocery store are filled with chips, cookies, soups, frozen entrees and other foods that promise convenience and sustainability. But if you’re really looking to manage your grocery bill, buy sustainable staples and cook from scratch whenever possible.

Bulk beans and grains

Buying organic and locally grown dried beans and grains in bulk cuts down on packaging and offers significant savings on a food with plenty of health benefits and a long shelf life.

GateHouse News Service

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Did you know?

- According to sustainability education nonprofit the Northwest Earth Institute, a dollar spent at a locally owned store usually circulates six to 15 times before it leaves the community. That $1 expenditure creates $5 to $14 in value within that community.

- A slow cooker or Crock Pot can stretch smaller portions of sustainably raised meat and get maximum flavor from more affordable beans, noodles and grains.